Facebook post on Thackeray: Girl says she will not visit FB, 9 held for vandalism

One of the girls held for posting comments on Facebook questioning shutdown in Mumbai for Bal Thackeray's funeral said she will never visit the website again.

TNN | Nov 20, 2012, 05.35 PM IST

Facebook post on Thackeray: Girl says she will not visit FB, 9 held for vandalism

01:19

Related Videos

Anti-Thackeray FB post: 9 held...

Anti-Thackeray facebook post: ...

Two girls held for FB post ove...

Bal Thackeray cremated with fu...

VVIPs pay homage to Bal Thacke...

Mumbaikars pay tribute to Bal Thackeray...

Bal Thackeray's memorial to come up at M...

Two unidentified persons open fire in Bi...

3 killed, several hurt in attack on Colo...

Watch: Mumbai Times Fresh Face 2015...

Remembering 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks...

MUMBAI/DELHI: One of the girls held for posting comments on Facebook questioning the shutdown in Mumbai for Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray's funeral today said she will never again visit the social networking site while police arrested 9 Shiv Sainiks for vandalising her uncle's clinic. Shaheen Dhada and Renu were arrested for posting comments opposing the Mumbai shutdown. However, they were granted bail after they furnished personal bonds, police said.

"So far, we have arrested nine persons in connection with ransacking the clinic of Abdul Dhada. We are looking for some more people," SP Thane rural Ravindra Sengaokar told PTI.

Shaheen said police was polite to her and she had no complaints against any police personnel. "I have apologised for the post," she said adding that whatever happened was unfair.

However, Shaheen said she would never use the social media network henceforth. She had no comments to offer on whether she had done anything wrong. She described Thackeray as a "great guy" whom she "truly respected".

Shaheen had allegedly commented on Facebook that one should not observe bandh for Thackeray's funeral. "We should remember Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev," the post said.

Her friend Renu, who was arrested for 'liking' the post, felt that she was "wrongfully" arrested.

Renu said, "I regret what I did. This should not have happened. I never dreamt that I would be in court. What we did was not a crime. Now I will think twice before posting anything on Facebook."

She further said, "The arrest was not necessary. Police treated us well. I was amazed at what was happening to me."

Their advocate Sudhir Gupta said both were arrested under section 505(2) IPC (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) following a police complaint lodged by a local Sena leader.

Police sources said a FIR has been registered against more than 50 people including some Shiv Sainiks who have been named in the report following the attack.

Also, a probe has been ordered into whether the contents of the Facebook post constituted an offence and even if the offence was registered why were the arrests made, Maharashtra Police's IG (law and order) Deven Bharti said.

Abdul Dhada, whose clinic was ransacked, said, "For our security they have posted the police because what has gone wrong should not happen again...we don't have any complaint against anybody and treatment we received from the police station is absolutely fine".

TOI had reported in its edition dated November 19 that Shiv Sainiks, angered by Shaheen Dhada's post on a social networking site, vandalized a clinic in Palghar owned by her uncle.

On Sunday, Shaheen Dhada (21) posted a comment on her Facebook page questioning the shutdown (following Bal Thackeray's death). Local Shiv Sainiks in Palghar objected and asked her to apologize, which she allegedly refused to initially. Despite her later posting of an apology, a big mob of activists vandalized the Dhada orthopaedic hospital belonging to her uncle Dr Abdul Dhada and manhandled staff and patients.

Under Sainiks' pressure, police detained Shaheen and her friend Rini Srinivasan (21, who had 'liked' Shaheen's comment on FB) late at night and arrested them on Monday morning for "hurting religious sentiments." The charge was later reduced and the two girls granted bail on surety of Rs 15,000 each.

(With PTI inputs)

RELATED

From around the web

More from The Times of India

Recommended By Colombia

From Around the Web

More From The Times of India

Recommended By Colombia

Comments

Characters Remaining: 3000

OR PROCEED WITHOUT REGISTRATION

Share on Twitter

SIGN IN WITH

FacebookGoogleEmail

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Islamic State on Thursday officially claimed responsibility for a gun and bomb assault in the centre of Jakarta earlier in the day that killed seven people, five of whom were attackers.

BJP underwent a radical organisational transformation to earn a famous general election victory after two national defeats. Amit Shah was a critical part of the change. To recover its electoral mojo, BJP must contemplate another big change after two big state defeats. And Amit Shah will again be a critical part of that process.

Talking about compensation to families of security personnel who died in the Pathankot terror attack, Kejriwal said, "If AAP government comes to power, we will give compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the families of the two martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists in Pathankot.